


A Key to Dreams

by tropewars



Category: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
Genre: Drama, Established Relationship, Fluff, KuroFai Olympics, Kurofai Olympics 2017, Light-Hearted, M/M, Mystery, Post-Canon, Post-Series, Team Dragon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-09
Updated: 2017-08-09
Packaged: 2018-12-13 02:36:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11750301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tropewars/pseuds/tropewars
Summary: Every new world they encounter comes with a new puzzle to solve.





	1. The Town of Fog

 

The first thing Kurogane could see was a village. It was near enough to make out two or three street lamps, little patches of light flickering in the distance as bugs darted around it, but too far away to tell much else. He took a step forward, the ground beneath him squelching under his boot. The faint croak of frogs and whisper of wind through what were most likely reeds were the only other sounds he could hear. They’d landed in some kind of marsh, he concluded.

He squinted, trying to find his companions. He felt as though they were close by, and he didn’t have that sense of dread in the pit of his stomach that usually came with being separated. But he couldn’t tell at all where they were. The darkness of this new world was far too intense for even his sharp eyes. It was unlike anything he’d ever experienced before. And it wasn’t black or even deep blue like the night. This darkness had a green hue to it. A sickly colour. Something more like mould, or the most hideous forest he could imagine. 

“Pork Bun.” He said, not bothering to turn around. “You got a light somewhere in that big mouth of yours?”

He was met with his own voice, echoing so distinctly through the marsh that it felt somehow artificial. There was a splash behind him.

“Oi!” He tried again. “I know you’re there!”

Nothing. He scowled. This was starting to piss him off. There was something off about this new world, and it wasn’t just the darkness. The last thing he wanted right now was to fall victim to whatever prank-of-the-week the damn pork bun had conjured up. He spun around, mostly for the flair of it, as it was pretty clear by now that facing his companions wouldn’t make it much easier to see them.

“Save the practical jokes for when we know where the hell we are!”

“Oh no! Kuro-chan, are you scared!”

Kurogane rolled his eyes, but wasn't quite able to keep the smirk from creeping into his lips. “As if, moron…” He muttered, fighting the relief from his voice. “Just wanna figure out where the hell we are so we can get out of here.”

A soft, cold hand touched his arm. Kurogane felt his shoulders drop, not even having realized he was so tense in the first place. “I know. There’s something unnatural about this place. It’s strange.” Fai paused, prodding the taller man’s side with a sharp finger. “Can you see?”

“No. There’s a village over there. But that’s about it. Can’t find the kid and the bun either.”

“Strange… It doesn’t feel as though they’re far from us. And I can understand you, which means Mokona must be nearby. I thought for sure they’d be right here when we landed, and surely they’d’ve found us after hearing you yelling before.” Fai was quiet for a while, apparently deep in thought. A cold wind came from behind the pair, seeming to push them towards the little house in the distance. “We have to find them.”

“Tch, you think? ‘S gonna be hard without some kinda light,” Kurogane pointed straight ahead, not caring whether or not Fai could tell that he was doing so. “We should go there first. To the village. Once we have light, we’ll find the kid and the pork bun.”

He marched forward, but only managed to take a few steps before Fai’s spidery fingers clasped his arm. “I’ll lead,” was all he said.

“Why…? Wait, can you see?!”

“I can!” Fai exclaimed, breaking away from his partner with what Kurogane could only assume was some variety of flamboyant twirl. “My, my, my! Some ninja you turned out to be! Imagine little old me beating you at your own game! How embarrassing!”

All the tension and uncertainty shattered in an instant, and Kurogane could practically smell the cheesy grin plastered on Fai’s face. “ _Watch it_ ,” he grinned, grasping at the darkness for the lithe man who danced just out of his reach. He knew this game. It was different to the ones he used to play. The ones where he’d use this airy guise as a way to avoid getting close to him. It was tiring and old.

But this- this was something for the both of them. Something to ease the pain and anxiety that they shared as they jumped from world to world. It was a game for two, and this time, Kurogane knew the rules.

Listening to the fitful footsteps circling him, he lashed out, grabbing hold of Fai’s slim waist and pulling him into his chest in one swift movement. Fai let out a shriek in protest, but didn’t struggle too much as Kurogane pressed his hand flat on the top of his head, roughly tousling his hair. “Stop, stop!” Fai cried. “It hurts!”

Kurogane dropped the writhing man with a short snicker. “Go ahead then.”

Fai’s long fingers found Kurogane’s, and laced them together. The taller man allowed him to be his eyes as they headed towards the village in the distance, with nothing more than the rustling of leaves, and Fai’s low, tuneless hum filling the air.

The rustling of leaves, and a low, tuneless hum.

The rustling of leaves, and a low, tuneless hum.

And a boy, calling his name.

Kurogane’s eyes flew open.

He swore at the white sunlight blaring into his eyes, and sat up too quickly. Little patches of dark clouded his vision, and his head felt heavy- like all his thoughts were more vague than normal. It was like a deep murkiness had gathered around his mind. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to will it away.

As the black spots began to fade, he saw Syaoran. Mousey-brown hair tussled by the wind, he stared up at him, remnants of worry still in his eyes. “Kurogane-san! Thank goodness!” He said.

“Kuro-papa was asleep for so long! Mokona and Syaoran were so very worried!” Mokona, who’d been clinging to his shoulder, jumped onto Kurogane’s, nuzzling up against him and cooing with that kind of dramatic, faux-motherly worry she seemed to think was entertaining.

“The hell…?” The older man stood up, ignoring the annoying meat bun on his shoulder. He scanned his surroundings. They’d set up camp just a few metres from a small village. The ground was soft and damp, and the air cool. It verged on cold, in fact. Which seemed odd when paired with such bright sunlight. Accompanied by the distant sound of shuffling footsteps and voices from the village was the familiar rustle of the wind and gentle groan of frogs. He turned around. Tall trees towered overhead, casting shadows that shifted and danced with the wind over still water. Two small boats were docked at the shore, swaying amongst reeds as tall as he and Fai.

A marsh. They’d landed in a marsh. Kurogane shook his head, still heavy with that strange, foggy feeling.

“Where’s the mage?”

Syaoran bit his lip. His eyes flicked towards the makeshift tent thrown together, before quickly meeting his mentor’s gaze again.

“In there?” Kurogane asked, barely having to gesture. Syaoran swallowed.

“Kurogane-san… I- just so you know. There was a problem. When we arrived. I don’t know what happened and I don’t know how, but Fai-san isn’t… himself right now,” Syaoran trailed off, looking uncomfortable. “Just, please be careful.”

Part of Kurogane was taken aback that the kid would be so worried about him seeing Fai. This wouldn’t have been the first time his mind had been transported back to Celes or Valeria, and he was always able to get through it. He’d seen Fai at his worst. Surely whatever was happening now wouldn’t be anything the two of them couldn’t deal with. But he merely grunted in response.

Drawing apart the tent’s cloth opening, Kurogane’s eyes landed on a familiar blonde figure, hunched over a pile of clothes. He appeared to be examining each item closely, muttering to himself something incomprehensible as he worked. Long hair lay limp around his shoulders, not tied up like it usually was so late in the morning, and seemed to lack its usual shine and softness. It looked as though it hadn’t been washed in several days. So as not to startle him (he hadn’t heard him enter, which was also unusual), Kurogane cleared his throat. Fai froze.

“Listen, mage,” Kurogane started. “It’s just me. Kurogane. Can you understand me?”

There was a tiny nod, and Kurogane took it as a cue to continue. He stepped inside the tent, slowly approaching the stiff man. “I need you to tell me what your name is.”

“My name is Mage.”

The voice was thin and glassy. Kurogane frowned. “Fai. Your name is Fai.”

“…My name is Fai,” he repeated. His answers were mechanical. Like he was only saying what Kurogane wanted him to say, but didn’t quite believe it himself. His eyes followed Fai’s thin arms down to the pile of clothes at his lap. His fingers were picking shakily at the materials of his deep blue Celesian coat.

“Listen, Fai,” he thought it best not to use nicknames at the time. It seemed to be confusing him. “What's going on with you? Can you answer that?” Kurogane kept his voice low and calm, hating that he had to stop himself short from reaching out and touching him. He lifted his head.

“I don’t… I don’t know…”

The man that turned around was not Fai.

At least, not the Fai that Kurogane knew.

While it was true that he’d seen him lost and afraid many times before, this Fai had eyes so blank and devoid of any hint of recognition that Kurogane refused to believe it could really be him. Cold blue eyes bore into his. Examining him. Seeming to be searching for something familiar. “I don’t know anything,” the stranger continued. “I’m sorry, I just… can’t remember." 

Kurogane felt his heart sink. He narrowed his eyes, not sure what to think or what to say. “What do you mean, you ‘can’t remember’?” 

Fai merely stared. “I mean… I don’t know.”

Kurogane opened his mouth, but was at a loss for words. He’d never seen Fai so… dull? That was likely the best way to describe it. With his vacant stare and robotic answers, he really didn’t feel like the person Kurogane knew so well. Fai didn’t even seem to recognize him.

A shuffle of cloth sounded from behind them, and Fai’s eyes darted to the opening of the tent. Kurogane followed his gaze, turning around to see Syaoran sharing Kurogane’s inability to speak. He awkwardly knelt at the entrance, wringing his hands together and not quite meeting either of the men’s eyes. It took him several tries to finally speak.

“I, um... I told you there was a problem. I’m so sorry Kurogane-san, I just wasn’t sure if something like this had happened before, or-”

“Syaoran,” Fai piped up before Kurogane could respond. “We know this man?”

Kurogane raised an eyebrow at his informality. And at the fact that he seemed to know Syaoran, but not Kurogane. He seemed to almost snap out of disassociation when he saw the boy, which definitely wasn’t something Kurogane was used to. Syaoran picked up on his confusion almost immediately.

“We talked just before!” He explained. “While you were asleep, I introduced myself. He didn’t recognize me at first either. Or Mokona.”

“So, what? He’s lost his memory?”

Syaoran looked away. “It’s not the most unusual thing to have happened to us…”

Kurogane’s heart dropped at the twinge of pain in Syaoran’s far-away gaze. Of course memory loss wasn’t exactly new for them. But the last time one of them had their memories taken from them, it was done so as a sacrifice. Surely there was nothing Fai would need so badly that he would sacrifice something as important as his memories of what had essentially become his family? Kurogane’s mind was spinning. The mage simply stared between the two of them, indifferent. Indifferent was not something that suited him.

“Pork bun.” Kurogane said. “Let me speak to the witch.”

Mokona bowed her head. “Sorry, Kurogane. Mokona can’t talk to Yuuko right now.”

“What do you mean you cant? If he made a wish, I need to know what it is!”

“Fai didn’t make a wish! Mokona would remember if he did!” She paused, seeming unnervingly uncertain. “Although…”

“Although what? Just let me talk to her. I need to know for sure.”

The little creature didn’t seem startled by his rapidly growing temper, but she did look guilty. That small, withdrawnness that she sometimes got when she felt useless was starting to show. “I can’t…” She said again. “Mokona can’t reach other Mokona. There’s something weird about this world. It’s like there’s a blanket over everything and the magic can’t get through it...”

Kurogane inhaled. Exhaled. Tried to keep his cool. It was so difficult to stay calm in this world. Having Fai in such a state with no explanation was hard enough. But normally, he’d be able to at least think rationally. His mind was so clouded. “A blanket?” He asked, forcing himself to solve just one problem at a time.

Mokona nodded earnestly. “Yes! A really fluffy one!”

“And you, kid?” He turned to Syaoran, who had become more withdrawn since the mention of the possibility of Fai wishing away his memories. “You know what she’s talking about?”

“Ever since we got here… I can think just fine, but it’s almost like… I have to use much more mental energy to focus on just one thought. I don’t know if I’m explaining it well, but that’s kind of how it feels.”

“Like a fog.”

“Yes, exactly! A fog!” 

Kurogane moved swiftly past the boy and Mokona, stepping out of the tent. His eyes narrowed as he stared across the marsh, scanning all the way until he faced the village. The tent rustled as his three companions joined him.

“Have you looked ‘round?” He asked whoever would answer first.

“No,” Syaoran said. “I thought I should wait for you to wake up first, especially since Fai-san was… _is_ acting so strange." 

“Fai-san, Fai-san, Fai-san…” Muttered the man in question.

“That’s you,” Syaoran whispered. “Remember?”

Kurogane closed his eyes, and inhaled. Exhaled. “I guess where we're headed first.”

 

(xxxxxx)

 

The village was about as small as Kurogane had expected. The streets were lined with little shops and parked cars, stray cats and roaming citizens. A florist on the corner. A butcher next door. The kind of thing Kurogane had come to expect in quaint places such as this.

What he hadn’t expected, however, was the enthusiasm of the villagers upon their arrival.

It wasn’t like they went out of their way to welcome the three travelers (Mokona of course was hiding safely in Syaoran’s coat), but they certainly greeted them in passing with unexpected familiarity. A man buying fish stopped to say, “hello! So good to see you!” as though he’d known the trio for years. A woman at the grocer bumped into them, and while apologizing, asked them how they’ve been. And they behaved that way with every other member of the village. Each person was greeted with warm familiarity. 

“You sure you didn’t come through here before?” Kurogane murmured to Syaoran after a little girl asked him how his weekend went.

“Positive,” said Syaoran. “I’ve not met anyone from this world yet.”

A slender woman with long, black hair drifted past the group. She Kurogane _did_ recognize. “Oi!" 

The woman, this world’s Arashi, stopped with a start. She smiled conservatively. “Hello! It’s good to see you,” she said. “May I help you?”

“Yeah,” Kurogane decided to be as direct as possible. “Do you know me?”

“I’m sorry,” Arashi replied, not all too taken aback by his frankness. “I can’t say I remember.”

Kurogane’s eyes widened. He turned to Syaoran, whose eyebrows were furrowed with thought.

“Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“Why can’t you remember? What about them?” Kurogane pointed at his companions. “Do you know them?”

“I can’t remember.”

“So you act like you know us, but you can’t remember whether or not you do? The hell’s the point?” 

“Kurogane-san…” Syaoran looked warily around, conscious that Kurogane’s raised voice was gathering attention.

“I’m sorry,” Arashi said, clearly growing uncomfortable. “I don’t think I can help you.” 

“What about them!” Kurogane demanded, randomly picking a member of the steadily growing crowd. He didn’t know why his temper was rising so quickly. He hadn’t been so easily angered for years now. “Do you remember them?”

“No, I don’t! And I don’t see how any of this could possibly affect you. So if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be on my way. It was so good to see you.” 

“ _’It was so good to see you_?’” Kurogane muttered as she left. “The hell kind of a thing to say to a stranger is that?”

“Kurogane-san?”

He had to take a deep breath before facing the kid. He knew he was letting his temper get the better of him. He had enough self-awareness to acknowledge that. But it was so hard to stop it from taking over. Much of the crowd had dispersed by now, but there were still a few curious hangers-on waiting for the disgruntled stranger to respond.

“And you?” Kurogane finally said, directing the question at any of the remaining villagers. “What do you remember?”

There was a ripple of murmurs as the crowd looked confusedly from boy to man, but there was no real answer except one clear voice that rang high above the rest.

“We remember nothing.”

The crowd cleared away like a flock of sheep, revealing a tiny girl standing tall amongst them. She smiled, splendid violet eyes boring into Kurogane’s. She cocked her head to the side. “Who wants to know?”

Kurogane’s heart jumped for just a moment, as it always did when he saw that familiar face. In this world, she was dressed in an uncharacteristically plain grey dress, decorated with nothing more than a thin lilac belt. Her hair was a lot more unkempt than Kurogane was used to seeing it, but it still looked slick and neat, just with a few more fly-aways than she would normally let go unnoticed. She was carrying a basket, which was filled with just a loaf of bread and a few vegetables.

What stood out most to Kurogane, however, was a large pin on her chest. A white rectangle with bold letters spelling something in a language he couldn’t read. Why in the hell, Kurogane thought, is she wearing something so aberrantly ugly? She seemed to be the only one to be doing so.

“My name is Syaoran, and these are my travel companions, Fai-san and Kurogane-san,” Kurogane only realized he’d forgotten to respond when Syaoran spoke up. “What do you mean, you ‘remember nothing?’ If you don’t mind me asking, of course.”

“Tomoyo,” she said, tapping the pin. So, it was a name tag? “It’s nice to meet you, for what I assume is the first time.”

“Yes, we’ve… never met.”

“Well, as for the memory issue, that’s a very long story. And frankly, it’s one that I can’t quite fill you in on much of because, well… like I said before, we remember nothing.” 

Syaoran shook his head. “That’s fine with us! Really! We just need as much information as possible. Our friend, Fai-san, hasn’t been himself since we got here. We think maybe, if this whole town is suffering from some kind of amnesia, maybe he caught it too?”

“I see,” Tomoyo said, looking Fai up and down as he stared back at her with much less commitment. “I think you boys should come with me!”

 

(xxxxxx)

 

Tomoyo’s home was far, far less extravagant than almost all other versions they’d seen so far. The house itself was massive compared to most of the buildings in the village, but the interior struck Kurogane as being very un-Tomoyo. If she had had it her way, the palace in Nihon would have had flowers painted in every room, and gardens more excessive than her own headpieces. The Tomoyo he most closely associated with that extravagant style was the girl in the world of flying machines and bright colours. What was it called again? Kurogane frowned. It was on the tip of his tongue, but he just couldn’t remember.

Meanwhile, the princess (no, he had to remind himself, not a princess) was rummaging through a pile of clothes, notebooks and photographs on a desk in the corner of her bedroom.

“Ah hah!” She cried triumphantly, waving a photograph above her head. “Found something!”

She shuffled over to the three men, carefully avoiding stepping on the piles of junk lining the floors. She shoved a photograph into Syaoran’s hands. Kurogane and Fai leaned over his shoulders to get a better look.

The photograph didn’t seem all too interesting or important at first- it simply showed Tomoyo, quite a few years younger than she was now, smiling brightly with a small group of girls. But there was something there that the present day Tomoyo was lacking. Something in her eyes. In her grin.

“So…” Syaoran started, not seeming convinced. “What is this exactly?”

“You know each other.” Kurogane said. “Which means this village wasn’t always like this.”

“Exactly!” Tomoyo exclaimed. “These are my friends! Well, _were_... But of course, I don’t remember them. I see them in town, but I never know how to greet them. They’re all so… blank. Like your friend.”

She hauled a huge box of photographs and notebooks from under the desk, passing bits and pieces out to each of the trio.

“Of course, everyone’s gotten used to having no memory! So no one really questions it. But when I realized that there was something missing- some feeling deep inside my mind when I saw the girls in the photograph out in the village- I knew something was wrong. So I scavenged all the memories I had in my home and gathered them all up. I write everything down, and I take photos of everything that happens. That way, the minute I wake up, I see everything and I have no choice but to at least know that’s what happened. And if you look at the number of diary entries…” She broke off, a certain kind of sadness and frustration gripping her voice. “…I’ve been doing this for years.”

“There must be a way to stop this. There has to be,” Syaoran said warmly. “Would it be okay if I take a look at your first ever entry?”

“Of course!”

While Tomoyo ran off to rummage through the books, Kurogane turned to Syaoran. He was squinting hard at the contents of a hardcover journal. He looked frustrated. Focused, yes. But a different brand of focus that Syaoran usually didn’t express when it came to reading. “Oi… you okay?”

Syaoran sighed. “I can’t read this, Kurogane-san…”

“Damn… Well, we can get her to tell us what it says, I guess.”

But Syaoran shook his head. “No, the language is fine. I recognize these symbols. But I can’t read it.”

“It’s fine, kid.” Kurogane didn’t really see it as an issue. They had an ally in Tomoyo. They didn’t have to be able to read it. “It’s just a different language using the same symbols.” 

“Kurogane-san, that’s not it! It’s like I’m looking at the pages and I know the words and I know the symbols but I’m just not digesting it! It’s like looking at something and knowing exactly what it is, but not comprehending what it means.”

Kurogane raised an eyebrow. It was rare for the kid to lose his cool like that. He hadn’t seen that side of him in a while. It didn’t bother him so much as it made him worry for the kid. It was obviously disturbing him, if it made him forget formality like that. The kid looked away, embarrassed over his outburst.

“I’m sorry… I’m just afraid. I want to keep trying, but… I think I might be forgetting how to read.”

Kurogane’s face remained stony as his heart pounded. He’d already forgotten the name of a world they’d spent so much time in. Syaoran was losing a skill he prided himself on. Fai had nothing left at all. If they continued like this…

“Found it!” Came Tomoyo’s triumphant shout. Her grin fell as she noticed the new tension in the room. “…Everything okay?”

“Yeah… It’s fine, Thank you, Tomoyo-san,” Syaoran smiled reassuringly. “But maybe you could help us read through it? We’re travellers, so we’re not all too familiar with the language.”

There was a strain in his voice as he said it. Kurogane knew he was thinking the same thing he was. They knew they had to move quickly. If they really were losing their memories, then it was only a certain amount of time before they were as clueless as Fai.

At least there was comfort in knowing that Fai truly hadn’t wished away his memories.

Tomoyo complied keenly to Syaoran’s request. Much of the journal was irrelevant; simple narration of what she had done that day, who she had seen, and what she discovered. While the boy listened, Kurogane found his mind begin to wander. He folded his arms as his gaze strayed over to Fai, who was sitting on Tomoyo’s unmade bed, listening like a child listens to a bedtime story. He at least had enough wit to understand what was being said. His eyes weren’t as clouded over as they were before, and he periodically nodded his head as though he was being given instructions.

The light outside the window was fading into shades of pink and orange. Either this town’s days were immensely short, or Kurogane had slept far, far longer than he thought. He was sure it was still the morning when he woke up. He was sure it was only a little past midday before they met Tomoyo. When did he start to feel so tired? He closed his eyes.

“Kurogane?”

Fai’s voice sounded from beside him- a lot closer than he’d been before. He opened an eye to give an indication that he was still awake, but upon doing so, he was so startled by what he saw that he almost fell backwards.

Or rather, what he didn’t see.

He had opened his eyes to darkness. Green, mossy darkness.

“Kuro-chan!”

A familiar body collided with his. Kurogane grunted at the impact. “Fai?” He asked the darkness. “You remember me?”

There was a bewildered pause. “Kuro… Remember you? What are you talking about?”

Kurogane shook his head. This is just a dream, he reminded himself. You fell asleep again, and you’re dreaming. Part of him was worried about leaving behind Syaoran to look after the real Fai again, but on the other hand… It was good to be remembered. He supposed Syaoran was probably okay while he was with Tomoyo, and there was nothing wrong with getting some shuteye. Despite the danger of their fading memories, this world really didn’t have much else they needed vigilance against.

“Never mind…” He muttered, wrapping an arm around the mage’s waist. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he realized it wasn’t as black as it was the last time he was asleep. He could see that he and Fai and travelled from the edge of the marsh to inside the village, and were currently resting by a cluster of trees in a little corner. The flickering streetlights gave a dim glow, which allowed Kurogane to see just a little more clearly the man draped over him.

He looked exhausted. Like he hadn’t slept in days. His wide eyes had dark circles and heavy, sagging wrinkles underneath them, and Kurogane wondered what it was that was making him dream that he would look so distraught. Fai didn’t seem to care that he was being examined so closely. Noticing Kurogane’s concern, he smiled gently. A thin hand cupped his face. “Don’t worry about me, Kuro-chan,” he said. “All you need to do is stay awake, okay?”

“You know I’m trying,” Kurogane replied, suddenly feeling guilty all over again. “I don’t know what’s going on with me in this world. Everything just feels… heavy.”

“Heavy?”

“Yeah. And you don’t even remember who I am.”

Fai shifted. “What do you mean?”

“When I’m awake. We’re in a world where no one seems to have any memories. And there’s gotta be something in the air, cause you seem to’ve caught it since we got there. It’s catching up with me and the kid too.”

“When you’re… awake?”

“It’s strange, y’know? The world we’re in looks exactly like this one.”

“Something’s wrong.”

“I know. I’m trying, okay? We’ll fix this before it gets out of hand.”

“No, no, you don’t understand!” Fai was on his knees now, hands gripping Kurogane’s shoulders. 

“I know that, but I’m trying, okay?” He gently grasped the blonde’s hands, prying them from his shoulders. “Look, when I wake up, I’ll catch up with Tomoyo and the kid and figure out what I missed while I was out. We’ll get your memories back. I promise.”

“No, Kurogane, please, you have to stay awake!”

“I will.”

His voice began to fade into an echo.

“Please, wake up!”

 

 (xxxxxx)

 

This was getting tedious. Kurogane felt like an old man, constantly in and out of sleep like this. Nevertheless, it didn’t seem like he’d missed much this time around, as they were all still in Tomoyo’s room. The light outside had faded, and only the dim glow of streetlights filtered in through the windows. He must have jolted awake, because all eyes were currently on him. Clearing his throat sheepishly, he straightened his posture, trying to act as though nothing had happened. “What?” He grunted.

The mage’s lips stretched into a smile far softer than his usual obnoxious grin. “You like sleeping.”

“No.” Kurogane protested shortly. “Doesn’t matter. What’s the hold up, I thought we were getting clues?”

Tomoyo shook her head with a light giggle. “It’s done. Finished. You slept through the whole thing,” she said, although it felt more like a taunt. “But don’t worry- your friends here hung on to every word!” 

On cue, the kid swung around fully to face him. His eyes had that stony determination to them again. The look he got whenever-

“It’s a feather,” he said. “It has to be. From what Tomoyo-san has been saying, it seems to be the only answer.”

Kurogane nodded sharply. “But what makes you so sure?”

“Syaoran told me all about your feathers and your quest. I’ve already come to the conclusion that this village wasn’t always under this veil,” Tomoyo added. “We don’t have magic here. Not that I remember. But given the situation we’ve been thrown into, it doesn’t seem all that unlikely, does it? That there would be some kind of magical influence that’s infected our minds?”

“Besides, it’s all centered around this village. The feather’s got to be close.”

That made sense. And it made sense that Mokona hadn’t sensed it upon their arrival, considering that she didn’t seem to even be able to contact Yuuko. “But that said,” Kurogane mused. “We don’t know who it affected first. As far as we know, the whole village lost their memory at the same time, right?”

Tomoyo shrugged. “I didn’t keep diaries before I realized something was wrong, so I can’t really help you there. But I didn’t write anything about anyone being surprised that I didn’t remember them. It’s such a small town, surely if it happened gradually, someone would have noticed something.”

Kurogane looked at Fai, who was listening intently. “Maybe you should write things down, too. If you can even remember how.” The mage nodded, eyes wide as though it was the most incredibly original idea he’d heard all day. “You seriously never thought to try it?”

He made a face like he was thinking very hard about something, light eyebrows furrowing together. “Maybe,” he concluded. “I don’t really remember.”

Kurogane’s lips twitched. It was comforting to know he was still the same clownish Fai, far beneath his current state of confusion.

“Tomoyo?” He asked after a moment of struggling to remember her name. “Would it be alright if I borrow some of your writing equipment? Just for now, of course.”

“Certainly!”

Peace enclosed the room for a time as Fai scribbled down a few notes on who knows what. His name, his companions, Tomoyo’s story…

How interesting that Syaoran was losing his ability to read, but Fai and Tomoyo seemed to be entirely literate. Kurogane supposed it made sense. Not everyone was being affected in the same way. And this particular language wasn’t Syaoran’s strongest.

The mage tucked his hair behind his ear. It soon fell in front of his eyes once again, splaying across his face. He swiped at it irritably. Kurogane huffed out a short breath of air with a quiet chuckle, and made a mental note to find that moron’s hair tie. He must’ve lost it during the move. Fai didn’t look up from his work, but the ninja didn’t miss the small smile playing at the corner of his lips. He had noticed, as the Fai he knew always seemed to.

He wasn’t the only one noticing things. Out of the corner of his eye, Kurogane could see Tomoyo stifle a giggle from her place at her desk. He shot her an unsubtle glare, hoping she didn’t realize that he hadn’t noticed how long he’d been looking at him until that point.

He cleared his throat. “So are we done here? We shouldn't waste anymore time. You can take more notes later, but right now…”

“We need to figure out where this feather is,” Syaoran finished.

 

 


	2. A Key to Dreams

 

It was easier, in fact, to investigate this town once the sun had set. It wasn’t all that dark, and the lack of irritatingly friendly villagers was extremely helpful. Tomoyo had explained that people didn’t seem to be aware that their memories were coming and going. Instead of investigating the issue as she did, they tended to just assume that they knew everyone and no one all at once, and always had. They greeted everyone as one would greet a friend, but knew and understood no one. It’s just how they ran things.

Another unusual commonality they noticed that night was that everyone seemed to know where they lived. Whether they actually remembered, or if it as simply intuition, that didn’t really matter. What mattered was that among these well-lit houses, there was only one (aside from Tomoyo’s) that seemed to be unoccupied. A house that stood alone on top of a small hill behind the main marketplace.

“And we’re breaking in?” Tomoyo asked, a twinkle in her eyes that made Kurogane groan internally.

“Well, it’s the only anomaly we’ve come across so far,” Syaoran said, attempting to justify the crime for his own conscience. “We’ll be careful not the break or misplace anything.”

“It’s not like they’ll remember,” Kurogane added. “Don’t worry about it, kid. We’ve done more suspicious things.”

“I’m so glad I brought my camera…” Tomoyo muttered.

The house was similar to Tomoyo’s, only far neater. Without dozens upon dozens of notebooks and photographs strewn across the floor, it was obvious that this person, like much of the town, hadn’t caught onto the fading memories of the town. The kitchen was clean, save for a few lone mugs and plates. The living room was in order, and the bed made. The house was neat, yes, but certainly not clean. Dust lined the bed sheets, and was caked over every windowsill.

There were some notes in the desk drawers containing shopping lists and recipes, according to Tomoyo, but nothing of relevance. Regardless, the eerily enthusiastic girl snapped a photo of everything, including a couple of herself with the group. “To let my future self know I was here with friends!” She justified.

“Well, can you let your future self know it was pointless, too?” Kurogane said. He wasn’t all too happy about their wasted time here. And here came that geezer feeling again- his eyes were suddenly heavy and sore, and his body aching to lay down. It was pissing him off. There was absolutely nothing that gave any sort of clue to what had happened. They should have known. It was far too obvious to expect one house to hold all the answers, just because it happened to be empty. “Let’s get out of here. It’s not worth the trouble.”

The kids hurried out to the streets. Kurogane turned to follow. “You coming?” He asked Fai, who hadn’t moved from his place by the desk where he’d been looking through empty journals. His eyes were wide. In his pale grip, he held what looked to be one of the lists Tomoyo had flipped through and quickly concluded had no significance. But Fai… Well, he was staring at it like it held his life story. He flinched. Turning his head slowly, he gave Kurogane a small and shaky smile.

“Yes, I’m sorry, Kur…” He frowned, and then shook his head. Kurogane’s heart heaved. “Um, never mind…”

With that, he scuttled from the room to join the others. He didn’t look Kurogane in the eye as he passed. Didn’t even acknowledge it when he muttered, “it’s ‘Kurogane’…”

He watched him leave, eyes narrow. What could he have seen that would cause him to react like that? Kurogane quickly picked up the notebook he’d dropped and flipped through it. He couldn’t understand a word of what was written, but it was definitely just a list. He examined the language. Whoever wrote it had neat handwriting, and wrote very faintly. Almost as if they were sketching, rather than just jotting something down. The symbols themselves were similar to that of the snow country, where they’d first met that creep, Kyle. He knew they’d decided not to move anything around, but… It wasn’t like anyone would remember it being otherwise. With that thought, he slipped it into his coat pocket, and followed the others.

The others were waiting outside the house. “Thought maybe you fell asleep again!” Tomoyo joked as he closed the door behind him. He rolled his eyes. Fai stared at the ground. “That said, I’m getting pretty tired myself. Maybe it’s time to give it a rest? We can search around for more clues tomorrow! If we get up early, we can beat the crowds and hopefully have more freedom to explore.”

“That’s okay with me if it’s okay with you Kurogane-san?” The kid said politely. Kurogane nodded, trying to hide the disappointment. He knew there was only so long he could stay awake that night. He was growing more and more irritable the longer his eyes were open, but in the back of his mind was that airy voice from his dreams that urged him to stay awake. It was foolish to follow the advice of a trick of the mind, but with the uncertainty of this world, he found comfort in following dream-Fai’s warning.

 

(xxxxx)

 

The kid and Tomoyo fell asleep quickly. Mokona bundled herself up in Syaoran’s arms once the princess (no, not a princess) had left them in her living room, which she had been kind enough to offer for the night. Kurogane watched the others for a time, urging his eyes to stay open. Sleep was so near that he could almost see his dreams begin to melt into reality, but he forced himself to stay awake, and tried not to focus on the rhythmic snores of the others.

The mage lay still, staring at the ceiling. With a sigh, he pushed himself up and sauntered towards the door, footsteps almost silent. Kurogane frowned. Before the door could close behind Fai, he slipped through as well.

“Hey,” he called, softness he saved only for his family in his gruff voice. “You okay?”

“Just thought I’d do some writing,” Fai said with a sigh. He collapsed on the top of a set of stairs leading up to the entrance. “Before I start to forget anything else.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“…I’m okay.”

“Then why’d you freak out before?”

Fai gave him a look. He shook his head as he began to scribble down notes. “I didn’t. I just… forgot where I was for a moment. It startled me.”

 _Bullshit_. They were back to this game. So he remembered how to lie, but forgot how terribly it worked on Kurogane? “You probably don’t remember this,” he said. “But lies don’t exactly work on me. You didn’t forget. You saw something, and then chose not to share it with us.”

Fai’s face fell, and his pencil froze. Kurogane moved in closer, taking a seat beside him.

“So what was it?”

But he just shook his head again. “I… don’t remember.”

“You know, when you keep things from us, you’re not protecting anything. You may think you’re saving your own ass, but believe me. You’d be better off if you let us in. Lying only complicates things, and keeping secrets doesn’t keep you safe. Not in the long run.”

“…Do you rehearse these things?”

Kurogane scowled. A Fai without memories was still a Fai who knew how to ruin the mood. Or just undermine him in general. “No,” he muttered. “I’ve just had to tell you many, _many_ times. You’re learning, but… I guess that’s something you forgot. Something you _actually_ forgot.”

“Am I in love with you.”

The question (which wasn’t really even phrased as such) was so sudden that it threw Kurogane off entirely. It wasn’t something he wanted to bring up until Fai had regained his memories. He was worried that it would cause him to mistrust him. But clearly, Kurogane hadn’t been subtle enough.

“You are,” he replied. “Were…”

“And you love me?”

“Yes.” It had never been hard for Kurogane to say it as it had been for the mage. “I do.”

“Why?”

“Dunno. I just do.”

“For how long?”

“Who knows? You repulsed me at first. But people change, I guess. And so do feelings.”

“You’re not very good at talking about your emotions, are you?”

“Maybe you don’t remember this either, but coming from you, that says a lot.”

“I guess...”

There was silence. Fai jotted something down in his journal. Kurogane watched. He couldn’t see exactly what he was doing- he was intentionally facing the book away from his partner- but it was fairly clear it was something about the two of them. It stung to be so far from him. Their time together had shaped them. Kurogane wondered if, without memories, Fai still felt something for him. Anything. Or if it could ever be regained. The magician seemed to notice the other man’s stare and paused. He pushed his blonde hair away from his face, and glanced up from the page. Kurogane straightened his back.

“I’m learning your language,” he said, just wanting to fill the silence.

Fai stopped, looking surprised. “You are?”

“Yeah, well… you’re learning mine, so it’s only fair. ‘Cause we’re thinking someday you’ll probably live in Nihon. With me.”

“…Am I good?”

“At Nihongo? Not really.”

The blonde man snorted. “How encouraging. Maybe it’s not the student’s fault, but the teacher’s?”

“Nah. You have terrible pronunciation,” Kurogane said, unperturbed by the accusation.

“Cruel. And here I thought you loved me.”

Kurogane forgot himself as his lips stretched into a grin. He grabbed his arm, pulling him into his chest as he had done so many times before. Fai let out a surprised yelp. With his palm on his head, he tussled his hair playfully as Fai’s giggles grew too loud, echoing down the otherwise quiet street. When Kurogane finally pulled away, he placed a gentle hand on Fai’s waist as he shifted closer to him, journal forgotten by his side. As their laughter subsided, the night seemed to become still.

Kurogane’s eyes were fixed on the streetlights overhead. Little bugs flitted around them, knocking into the post as they blindly followed the brightest source of light in the vicinity. He could barely hear the gentle croaking of frogs in the distance, which was the only noise that filled the air, aside from their own rhythmic breathing. A cold hand touched the back of his neck, and long fingers crawled into his dark hair, sending shivers down his spine.

“So if you love me,” Fai whispered. “And I love you in return…”

Kurogane could feel his breath on his neck, and his eyes searching every inch of his body. He swallowed, eyes not moving from their fixed position.

“Would it not be strange, then,” he continued. “If I were to kiss you?”

“It wouldn’t be strange at all.”

Without another moment’s hesitation, the smaller man inched closer. His eyes were half-closed as he leaned his face towards his own, and slipped shut as he finally closed the gap between them. His lips were cool, and soft. Kurogane wrapped his arms around his waist, bringing him even closer as he returned the kiss.

He hadn’t forgotten how to do this, at least.

Fai shifted his legs, which had been awkwardly lying off to one side as he twisted his body around to face Kurogane’s, so that they were on either side of his partner’s lap. He tilted his head, opening his mouth slightly to deepen the kiss. Kurogane opened his eyes for just a moment to see the other man. He looked as though, to him, this whole thing felt right. It was reassuring to know that Fai, even without his memories, still found Kurogane attractive enough to pursue him. And he didn’t look to have been pressured into anything by their earlier conversation.  
Yet, as their mouths moved together, Kurogane found himself feeling as though something wasn’t quite right.

Fai pulled away. “You stopped. Is something wrong?”

Kurogane just frowned pensively. “Sorry. ‘S not you.”

“Oh.” A little embarrassed, Fai wriggled off Kurogane’s lap and sat back down on the other side of him. He straightened out his clothes and cleared his throat. “So what it is, then?”

“I dunno,” Kurogane said genuinely. “It just… doesn’t feel right.”

“Because of my memory?”

“No… I don't know. ‘S just a feeling.”

Fai nodded sullenly. Kurogane could see in his eyes a twinge of dejection, but mostly guilt. It was something he was used to seeing in Fai, but he hadn’t in quite some time. “That makes sense…” Fai muttered, slowly standing up and dusting himself off. He threw him a saccharine smile. “I’d better get to sleep. You should too.”

Kurogane nodded, but Fai had already gone back inside and closed the door behind him. Footsteps indoors stopped, replaced by the shuffling of bed sheets, and then quiet. The ninja sighed. A cool breeze tussled his short dark hair, and rustled the pages of the journal, discarded in the heat of the moment, by his side. He picked it up, flipping through the pages nonchalantly. He’d pass it to the mage tomorrow, he thought to himself. It’d do no good waking him now.

Seeing the journal again made him think of his struggle with Celesian. Although he had told Fai otherwise, the blonde was really quite good at Nihongo. His pronunciation was strange on particular vowels, and his consonants too biting, but all in all he was improving quickly and working hard. It was Kurogane who struggled with Celesian. But he wasn’t so bad at the lettering. He found it wasn’t so dissimilar to Kanji- all swirling symbols and intricate lines. It reminded him of the calligraphy classes he took as a child, which he was never very good at, but always secretly enjoyed. But when he opened the journal, not only could he not understand anything.

He didn’t recognize a single symbol.

No, that wasn’t strictly true. He _recognized_ them. But not as Celesian.

His heart turned cold. Digging around in his coat pocket, he found the list he’d stolen from the empty house. Sure enough, the letters were the same. But it was more than just that. The handwriting in Fai’s journal used thin, faint lines. Almost as though he’d been sketching rather than jotting down mundane events.

“They’re the same,” Kurogane breathed. “That’s not him!”

He shot up, journal and lists in hand. But before he made a move to go back inside, he felt his head spinning.

 _Damn_.

He felt himself sinking.

Sinking.

Sinking.

He opened his eyes.

The indistinct sound of sobs filled his ears before his eyes began to adjust to the ever-dispersing darkness. He sat up.

“Oi!” He called, not quite knowing from where the sound was coming. “Where are you?”

Footsteps echoed though the deep green chasm, growing faster as they did louder. Kurogane jumped to his feet. The being approaching stopped just metres before him, and somehow, Kurogane could see everything.

Though the darkness was still great, Fai was lit as bright as the streetlights above them. Kurogane could see his blonde hair tied back in a messier-than-normal bunch. His lithe body slouched over in stress and hurt. His eyes wide with relief. His face stained with fresh tears…

“I told you to stay awake,” he muttered coldly.

Kurogane took a step toward him, but stopped. “Who are you?” He asked.

The mage, if it truly was him, shook his head, mouth agape in shock. “Kurogane… Did you forget me? After all this time waiting and waiting for you and you just- !”

“I know who I think you are. But tell me the truth. Is it really you?”

“Fai D. Fluorite of Valeria and Celes. I swear to you I’m not lying! Why would I lie to you?”

“Your real name. What is it?”

Fai swiped at his eyes. “Yuui. My real name is Yuui.”

Kurogane’s arms fell by his sides. He tipped his head to the sky, looking at nothing. “This is a dream, right?”

There was no response. The other man didn’t move.

“This is a dream,” he asked again. “Isn’t it?”

“No.” The reply came with a sigh. A terribly exasperated sigh, as if he’d been holding it in for days. “This is not a dream, Kurogane.”

“I’m asleep. I’m asleep, and so’s the kid and the bun. And you. Well, fake-you.”

“You’ve been asleep for days.”

Kurogane stared at the man before him, suddenly understanding with dread why he seemed so angry and afraid. “Days? It’s barely been a full day since we got to this world.”

“Time travels differently between the waking world and the dream world.”

“So the kid and the bun? Why aren’t they here too?”

“Something went wrong.”

“No shit something went wrong! You said that last time, too! Where are they?”

“Many worlds have several plains within them,” he began, moving closer towards Kurogane as he spoke. “One where the waking world lives, and a separate, parallel plain to which they are transported when they sleep. This world is one of them, but it seems as though something- _and gosh, I wonder what-_ is causing the two to merge together. You feel as though you are awake while in the dream world. And you feel as though you’re dreaming while in the waking world.”

“So… I’m awake. We’re both awake, but this is the dream world,” he said, trying to wrap his head around it. “But I’m asleep in the waking world, just like the kid and the bun. So why aren’t they here?”

“I think when we got here, we were separated,” Fai continued, seeming to calm down the more he explained. He still hiccupped every few sentences or so, but his tears had stopped their flow well and truly by now. “Syaoran-kun and Mokona were sent to the waking plain, and I was sent here. To the dream plain.”

“And me?”

“Both. Neither. In between.”

Kurogane shook his head. “So you’re… you? You’re really you?”

“I should be,” Fai sniffled. “Is there… someone who looks like me on the other side?”

Kurogane huffed, suddenly remembering their kiss. Pink dusted his cheeks. “That’s not important right now,” he said, looking away. “I’ll fill you in once we figure out how the hell to get out of here.”

“I’m glad you’re back,” he said suddenly, taking strides to close the gap between them. “I was so worried I’d never escape from here. That I’d never see you or Syaoran-kun or Mokona again.”

Kurogane put a hand on his shoulder. It was hard for him to imagine Fai on his own in a cold and empty world such as this one. For days, he’d said. He’d been sleeping for days. As an act of comfort, it was the least he could do, he pressed his lips to Fai’s forehead, and closed his eyes for just a moment. It wasn’t much, but it was hopefully reassuring enough to make up for just a trace of lost time. When he pulled away, Fai’s eyes weren’t as pained as they had been before, and the corner of his lips was twisted up into a small and gentle smile.

“So, first thing’s first. We find the feather causing the two plains to merge.”

“You mean this?” Fai said, pulling out the intricate shard from his coat.

Kurogane’s mouth fell open. “Don't look so surprised! You think I just watched you sleep for days on end? I had no idea you were so conceited.”

“Moron!” He yelled. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me you had that sooner?”

The idiot just shrugged noncommittally. “I needed to explain my theory first. That way you’d know exactly what was happening before you go running off with the feather and causing trouble.”

“I’m-!”

“Because the real trouble I was having,” he interrupted. “Is how I’d get it to Mokona. Which is precisely where you come in, Kuro-sama!”

 

(xxxxx)

 

When Kurogane awoke- no. When he fell asleep, he found himself in exactly the position he’d been left in. In fact, it didn't seem to be too much later in the night. “Huh,” he said aloud. Guess time really did move differently between the two worlds or plains or whatever. As soon as his eyes opened, he felt the shroud over his mind return. He felt heavy again, and missed being in the dream world. There was so much more clarity there.

He reached into his coat. He had quite the collection of items now, with the other Fai’s book and list, as well as Sakura’s feather that the real Fai- his Fai- had passed on to him.

“You can cross the plains, Kuro-pii,” he had said. “Your clothes and your belongings don't get lost when you go back and forth, so I can’t imagine the feather would either!”

“But what if it does?”

The mage’s hands clasped his in a desperate grip. He was acting cheerful, but Kurogane could see that beneath his nonchalant jokes and smiles, he was afraid. He didn’t hold it against him. Not this time. Not anymore. It was easy to see why he was pretending- he was afraid, but hopeful. He was alone, but knew it wasn’t his fault. He wasn’t angry with himself or the world for casting him off like this, but he was still afraid of what could happen between now and then. And that made Kurogane, for a lack of a better word, glad.

And was there any better way to describe how it feels to love somebody, plain and simple?

His doubt was dispelled when he saw that the feather had made it back with him in one piece. He quickly made his way inside to wake the others.

“Hey, kid. Bun,” he called, shaking Syaoran’s shoulder gently. “Wake up. There’s something we have to do.”

As they rubbed the sleep from their eyes, he told them in a low voice what he’d heard from Fai in the other plain.

“I guess that would explain why no one seems to remember much,” Syaoran said, eyes wide. “I rarely remember any of my dreams.”

“But if that’s really Fai…” Mokona whispered, huddling close to Syaoran’s chest. “Then who’s that?”

All eyes fell on the sleeping blonde. A lanky arm lay across his chest, the other folded under his head like a pillow. Light cascaded over his face, causing his long eyelashes to cast shadows over his face. His blonde hair, messy from rolling around in his sleep, framed his face like a halo. He really did look exactly like him. But Kurogane’s Fai never slept face up. It wasn’t him. It couldn’t be. “I don’t know,” said Kurogane. “I’m sure he’s harmless. He just lost his way. And we were the first people to find him.”

With that, they left the building, thinking it was for the best to leave Tomoyo asleep. Maybe she’ll read her journals when she wakes up for real, Kurogane thought. But it wouldn’t do her any good to bring her with them.

“Kuro-wan!” The pork bun cried once they’d reached the street. “Let me take the feather!”

A blindingly white light enclosed them as she did so, pouring across the village all the way to the marsh. Kurogane squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth, but even then he felt it, hot and glaring. He flung an arm over his face, but still the light seeped through. He opened an eye, just for a moment, to try to find the kid and the pork bun, but it was so strong the moment he did so, he began to tear up. A ringing filled his ears. High pitched and awful.

And then, there was sound.

Comforting, peaceful sound.

The sounds of a bustling village.

He pulled his arms away from his face slowly. The blinding light was gone. Instead, the sun bared itself gently on his face. A comforting warmth that felt more real than the strange, cold sun that had shone when he first awoke in this world. And the fog had lifted from his mind as well. His thoughts had taken a moment to unjumble themselves, but now everything seemed to be becoming clearer. He looked around. There was the kid. And the bun. They’d made it through, safe and alive.

_Fai._

Suddenly, a sense of frantic dread worked its way into his stomach. The mage was nowhere to be found.

_What if it hadn’t worked?_

“Kurogane-san?” Syaoran called. “Are you alright?”

“Where’s the mage?”

But Syaoran just shook his head. “I don’t know, I’m sorry Kurogane-san. I’m sure we’ll find him, let’s just…”

“Fai!” Mokona suddenly cried, pointing behind the group as she jumped from her place in the boy’s coat in a moment of excitement. He hushed her quickly.

Kurogane followed her path. Sure enough, there he was: blonde hair tied in a messy bun, and eyes expressionless as he wondered through the town. The ninja ran towards him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He jumped, and turned around. “Hey-!”

Fai’s eyes were wide. His hand closed over Kurogane’s, gently lifting it from his shoulder. As soon as the skin touched his own, he knew he had made a mistake.

“I’m sorry,” the man who was definitely not Fai said. “Do I know you?”

Kurogane deflated. “No.” He said. “I… thought you were someone else.”

The fake Fai gasped, but it was barely noticeable. Then he smiled. “I’m sorry if this seems strange, but did you perhaps know my brother?”

“Uh,” Kurogane glanced back at Syaoran, who tilted his head as if to ask what was going on. “Sorry, I don’t know. What’s his name?”

“It’s Yuui,” his eyes were distant as he spoke. “He died a long time ago, though. Sorry, it’s a long shot. I just thought…”

“I know him.”

Fai instantly perked up. “Really! How? When? Would you like to come by for tea? You can tell me all that you know then!”

But there was nothing he could tell him. “I’m a traveller,” he said. “We plan on leaving soon. I’m just looking for a companion I lost when we got here.”

“Oh… I understand. And he looks like me, then?”

“A little, yeah,” Kurogane smirked. Fai nodded.

“I hope you find him. And good luck on your travels!”

A sense of warmth flooded Kurogane’s stomach. Fai, not his Fai, but the real Fai, was a good person.

Kurogane had never had siblings himself, but he’d always wanted them. Tomoyo was probably the closest he’d ever get to a sister. He considered Touya to be something like a younger brother (the brat loved to joke about how similar they were). But he would never meet Fai’s family. He would never know his mother or Ashura as Fai once knew him or, most importantly, his twin. This, he realized, was the closest he would ever get.

“I’m sorry to hear about Yuui,” he said. “He’s a good guy.”

Fai looked as though he was about to explode with happiness. “I’m so glad you think so,” he whispered. “Really… So glad.”

“I’ll see you around, then.”

He wouldn’t.

“Wait, Ku-!” Fai stopped himself just as Kurogane dug his heel into the ground. “Um, do I… know you from somewhere?”

A lump formed in his throat. One that he couldn’t quite swallow just yet. So maybe he did remember more than he’d assumed. Maybe it wasn’t quite as simple as everything going back to normal in an instant. Suddenly, his coat felt just slightly heavier. He reached into the folds of his coat, hand clunking into a thin hardcover book.

The journal.

He’d forgotten about it until now.

“Why do I feel like I know you?”

He stared at the book in his hands. Then, with his usual unceremonious flair, passed it to the man before him. “You do. Not well. But you know me.”

His eyes somehow widened even further. This time not with hope, but with recognition. “This is-!”

“Like I said,” Kurogane said, turning to leave. “I’m sorry. I thought you were someone else.”

When he got closer to the kid, he heard Mokona’s little voice peep out from her hiding place. “It wasn’t him, was it, Kuro?”

Kurogane shook his head. But in more ways than not, he was glad he was able to see him before he left. He turned his head around one last time. The tall, thin figure was already off, weaving through the crowds towards that one, lonely house on the hill.

“Kuro-chan?”

He spun around. Red eyes fell on familiar blonde locks, wide eyes and softly coloured clothes.

“Was it Fai?” He asked. “The man who looked like me. It was Fai, wasn’t it?”

Relief washed through his veins, but all he could do was throw his head back and groan in frustration. “Please. Tell me you’re you,” he said.

Fai, not technically the real Fai, but Kurogane’s Fai, laughed. Mokona, against Syaoran’s will, wriggled her way out of his grip and jumped into Fai’s arms. “Fai!” She squealed. “Mokona is so happy to see you!”

“And I’m happy to see you too, little one. I’m sure you have so much to tell me!”

“Kuro-sleepy said Fai was stuck all by himself for days and days and days!”

“It must have been hard,” Syaoran said guiltily. “We’re sorry we didn’t find you sooner.”

“That’s alright, Syaoran-kun. I’m okay,” he smiled gently, but it soon turned almost malevolent when he looked across at Kurogane. “What _really_ hurt was that Kuro-meanie didn’t even notice the difference between me and my own brother!”

“I _did_!” Kurogane growled, hackles up as soon as the accusation left his mouth. “It took me less than a day to figure out it wasn’t you!”

“A _whole_ day!” Fai cried, covering his eyes while Mokona cooed comforting words into his ear. “And here I thought you loved me!”

“Dammit, mage!” He yelled, breaking into a sprint as the other man pranced away. Mokona jumped from his arms and back to Syaoran in mock-fright. “Will you _ever_ cut me some slack?”

It was easier than normal to catch him this time. He suspected that, despite Fai loving seeing Mokona and Syaoran again, he had simply started the play-fight as an excuse to run a little out of sight, for just a moment. Once they’d weaved through the crowds, Syaoran chasing after them exasperatedly yelling something about ‘having to leave soon’, Fai stopped sharply, and turned around. Kurogane followed his lead, skidding to a halt and stopping just centimeters from the other man.

The mage turned around, elevating himself onto his toes to plant a firm kiss on the other man’s lips.

This was his Fai.

This was his Yuui.

And they were okay.

When he pulled away, his smile was brighter than ever, and Kurogane couldn’t help the twitch of his lips.

“Will you ever cut me some goddamn slack?” He asked again, softer this time, and accompanied by a smile he saved only for Fai. A smile he’d be embarrassed to let anyone else see.

“No.” Fai said. “Probably not.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading my entry for Team Dragon in 2017's KuroFai Olympics! My prompt was 'a red herring', and you can vote for it and all the other fics this year according to the rubric on dreamwidth:
> 
> http://kurofai.dreamwidth.org/
> 
> Also, just because I didn't want to credit it earlier in case it spoiled some of the content in this fic, this whole setting was (very loosely) inspired by 'Julietta', which is a fantastic opera by Martinu! Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find a full performance of it online yet (it's pretty little known, as far as I know), but the full recorded opera is available on youtube, as well as a few scenes for those who are curious!
> 
> Good luck to everyone else writing this year!


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